Iowa airman drowns while swimming in Guam

DES MOINES — A 20-year-old member of the Iowa National Guard on temporary duty in Guam drowned while swimming Saturday.

Senior Airman Drew Bellairs of Osage was pronounced dead at Guam Memorial Hospital after being found unconscious at Marbo Cave in Mangilao Saturday afternoon, according to the U.S. Air Force.

"It is always a tragedy when we lose a member from Team Andersen," said Brig. Gen. Andrew Toth, Andersen Air Force Base 36th Wing commander. "(O)ur prayers are with (Senior Airman) Bellairs' friends and family," he said in a statement.

Firefighter Kevin Reilly, spokesman of the Guam Fire Department, said Bellairs was unconscious and unresponsive when emergency units arrived at the freshwater cave on the northeast side of the island. A group of hikers had made the emergency call at 2:15 p.m. local time, and the airman's friends administered CPR while awaiting rescuers, he said. GFD's Advanced Life Support personnel continued CPR while transporting Bellairs to the hospital in Tamuning, he said.

Bellairs was a member of the Maintenance Group, 185th Air Refueling Wing, according to the Iowa National Guard news release. He was serving on temporary duty while assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron at Andersen. He enlisted in July 2012 as an aerospace maintenance journeyman, according to the release. He graduated from Air Force basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and then attended the aerospace maintenance apprentice course.

Bellairs, who had previously deployed to Japan for a typhoon response, earned several awards, including the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal.

Bellairs was born in Greenville, S.C., and graduated from Osage (Iowa) High School in 2013. He participated in chorus, band, cross country, basketball and golf.

He graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in criminal justice. While enrolled, he was active in the ISU Flying Club and Skiing Club.

Bellairs is survived by his father and mother, David and Beth Bellairs, sisters Jenny and Natalie Bellairs, and brother Sam Bellairs, all of Osage.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Contributing: Kyle Daly, Pacific (Guam) Daily News